Department for Transport

Department for Transport: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new EU directives relating to his Department's responsibilities are in negotiation in the EU.

Jesse Norman: Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation. There are 12 EU directives for which the Department for Transport is responsible that are in active negotiation under the Estonian Presidency of the EU.

Department for Transport: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many EU directives relating to his Department are being transposed into UK law.

Jesse Norman: Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation.There are presently 15 EU directives relating to the Department for Transport which await transposition into UK law before 29 March 2019.

Department for Transport: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to stop transposing new EU directives into UK law.

Jesse Norman: Government policy and legal assessment remain to ensure full compliance with EU legal requirements until the UK leaves the EU. This includes transposition of EU directives.

Vetting: Drivers

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to take steps to require criminal records checks to be made of drivers prior to hiring a van or car.

Jesse Norman: There are no current plans to require criminal records checks to be made of drivers prior to hiring a van or car. However the Department for Transport is working very closely with government partners, the police and the security and intelligence agencies to consider what more can be done to prevent the malicious misuse of vehicles as a weapon.

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of the use of AdBlue in road transport on the (a) carbon footprint of AdBlue production and (b) level of carbon dioxide emissions.

Jesse Norman: The Government is committed to ensuring that the transport sector plays a full part in delivering the emissions reductions needed to meet the Climate Change Act (2008) target for an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. The Department for Transport has made no assessment of the Carbon Dioxide emissions of Adblue production or use. Officials regularly review the emerging evidence on carbon dioxide emissions and, where found to be material, will adjust forecasts and policy to reflect this.

Airports: National Policy Statements

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in which month the final National Airports Policy Statement will be published.

Mr John Hayes: The consultation on the draft Airports National Policy Statement closed on 25 May, and we are analysing the tens of thousands of responses received. The Government will set out the next steps in the process in due course.

Traffic Commissioners: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to relocate the Traffic Commissioner for Wales to an office in Wales.

Jesse Norman: The Traffic Commissioner for Wales has use of an office in Cardiff as a temporary measure whilst the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes forward plans to locate a permanent base in Cardiff. Work is being undertaken by DVSA Estates to agree a lease and layout plan for premises in St Mary’s Street, Cardiff. It is expected that the traffic commissioner will move into this office in September 2017.

A19: Accidents

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 26 June 2017 to Question 336 on A19: accidents, if he will commission a report into the causes of injuries and fatalities at accident blackspots on the A19.

Jesse Norman: Highways England is awaiting validated accident data for 2016, and will review the position in light of this information.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of including wider social and wider economic considerations in the placing of orders for trains.

Paul Maynard: Rolling stock procurement, generally by Train Operating Companies, delivers significant economic and social benefit in the UK. The recent announcement from Bombardier confirmed that they have secured an order from First MTR South Western Trains Limited for 750 new carriages. This is just the latest in a series of orders for Bombardier, following on from a recent large order from Abellio Greater Anglia. Since 2010 Bombardier have secured orders for over 2,800 new carriages, all of which have been and are being built in Derby where over 1600 people are employed. Furthermore, since Hitachi opened their manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe, over 700 jobs have been created including apprenticeships and graduate roles. I am determined that our investment in the rail network continues to benefit the UK economy. Where appropriate we do exploit the scope we have to use our procurement to add value. For example, the recent Periodic Indicative Notice issued by HS2 Limited in relation to their forthcoming rolling stock procurement asks applicants to make clear how their proposal would create employment and develop capability.

Taxis: Licensing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on the potential merits of reforming the law to give Transport for London the power to cap the number of private hire vehicle driver licences.

Mr John Hayes: There have been no discussions between the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London on reforming the law to give Transport for London the power to cap the number of private hire vehicle driver licences. The Mayor has recently written to the Secretary of State for Transport requesting this reform as part of a wider package of measures. We will respond to him on this and the other matters raised in due course.

East Coast Railway Line

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of trends in passenger numbers on the East Coast Main Line since 2010.

Paul Maynard: There are no published statistics on the annual number of passengers travelling on the East Coast Main Line. Statistics for the train operators serving the East Coast Main Line stations are available on the Office of Rail and Road data portal at the following link: http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/browsereports/12.

Aircraft: Air Conditioning

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to reduce toxic cabin air incidents affecting flight crew and passengers; and if he will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes: Maintaining the safety record of UK aviation is something we take very seriously. That is why concerns raised about cabin air have been investigated at length over a number of years. These scientific research projects have not been able to confirm a link between perceived cabin air quality and illness. The Aviation Health Unit within the Medical Department of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will continue to monitor issues around cabin air as part of their wider role as specialist adviser to the Government on aviation health issues.

Railways: Freight

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to increase capacity for rail freight in the Newcastle region.

Paul Maynard: I can confirm that Network Rail has recently completed an investment scheme to provide W12 gauge clearance (this allows rail freight services to handle larger containers on conventional freight wagons) between York North and Mossend on the East Coast Main Line through Newcastle. In addition, Network Rail have been developing a scheme to construct three new freight loops on the East Coast Main Line between Northallerton and Newcastle, which will help increase network capacity and performance for both freight and passenger services on the route. I also understand that by extending the opening times of certain signal boxes, Network Rail have help to facilitate a new biomass flow which is expected to start in summer 2017 from the Port of Tyne to Lynemouth power station.

Driving: Disqualification

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have received driving bans in (a) Stroud District, (b) Gloucestershire and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Jesse Norman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold data on most driving disqualifications imposed before 2014. This is because driving endorsements are retained on the DVLA’s database in line with the offence retention periods set out in legislation. The following table shows the number of individuals shown on the DVLA’s records as having received a driving disqualification since 2014 in the areas requested. Calendar year2014201520162017 up to 1 JulyStroud District56515923Gloucestershire684742875423England76,89981,34589,65843,391  The table reflects each individual disqualification which might mean that some drivers may be included more than once.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average increase in rent was for armed forces personnel living in service families accommodation in each of the last five years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The increases to Service Family Accommodation (SFA) rental charges recommended by the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body (AFPRB) in each of the last five years are shown below: YearAFPRB Recommended Increase20171%2016No increase to rental charges for SFA under the four-tier grading system in advance of the transition to the Combined Accommodation Assessment System.20152.8%20142.2%2013Grade 1: 3.7% Grade 2: 2.5% Grade 3: 1.2% Grade 4: 0 For context the figures in the table below, for the preceding five years, show that these rent increases have not risen sharply: YearAFPRB Recommended Increase2012Grade 1: 2.9% Grade 2: 1.9% Grade 3: 1.0% Grade 4: 02011Grade 1: 1.4% Grade 2: 0.9% Grade 3: 0.5% Grade 4: 02010Grade 1: 1.2% Grade 2: 0.8% Grade 3: 0.4% Grade 4: 02009Grade 1: 3.7% Grade 2: 2.5% Grade 3: 1.2% Grade 4: 02008Grade 1: 3.7% Grade 2: 2.5% Grade 3: 1.2% Grade 4: 0

Reserve Forces

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average time taken was for an applicant to the Reserve Forces to be accepted in the last 12 months.

Mark Lancaster: The three Services measure the recruitment process in different ways, reflecting the differing requirements of each Service. Therefore, the numbers presented here are not directly comparable.In the Maritime Reserve, the median time taken for an applicant to be accepted onto a Phase 1 training course is currently 147 days.In the Army Reserve, the median time taken for an applicant to be enlisted in Financial Year (FY) 2016-17 was 138 days.In the RAF Reserves, the average length of time from application to attestation in FY 2016-17 was 62 days.We have put in place a number of initiatives which encourage participation with the Reserves at an early stage in the recruitment process, including early attestation and involvement of individual applicants with their chosen Reserve unit.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Housing

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government's policy is on offering financial support to households that are not fuel-poor to make their homes more energy-efficient in 2017-18; and if  he will make an assessment of the potential contribution of offering such support to the UK's ability to meet its commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

Claire Perry: Holding answer received on 04 July 2017



The Government is committed to tackling climate change and to the UK’s Climate Change Act. Improving our energy efficiency and decarbonising buildings will be key to meeting our domestic commitments, as we look towards 2050. For non-fuel poor households, our priority is to help create a sustainable market for energy efficiency and low carbon products, rather than rely primarily on subsidy. That is why the Government commissioned the Each Home Counts review of quality, standards and advice in home energy efficiency and renewables, which reported in December 2016. We are working with industry on its approach to implementing the findings of that review. In addition, we are taking steps to ensure that tenants in privately rented properties are able to live in energy efficient homes. That is why we introduced the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 which requires all landlords of privately rented domestic property in England and Wales to ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach at least an energy performance rating of E before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants, unless a prescribed exemption applies. There is also financial support available where appropriate, not limited to fuel-poor households. Obligated suppliers are expected to spend nearly £300m between April 2017 and September 2018 in meeting their obligations under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation as part of our extension to the Energy Company Obligation, which has no specific eligibility requirements. The Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive is also available to consumers (including non-fuel poor households) wishing to decarbonise their home heating system. The Government also consulted last December on raising standards for domestic boiler installations in England which would raise efficiency for everyone, and those with the highest fuel bills will benefit the most.

Industry: East Renfrewshire

Paul Masterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government's industrial strategy on East Renfrewshire.

Claire Perry: The UK Government agreed the Glasgow City Deal which will see £524 million in new UK Government funding flow into the Glasgow city region, supporting East Renfrewshire and seven other authorities. Projects and programmes will help improve transport infrastructure, invest in world class life sciences facilities, and tackle unemployment through targeted support for the young and the vulnerable. We are committed to developing an ambitious Industrial Strategy for the whole of the UK. We will continue to work with the devolved governments – building on shared interests to deliver better outcomes for the people of East Renfrewshire, and for the rest of the UK.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bahrain: Newspaper Press

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Bahrain on its decision to suspend indefinitely the newspaper Al Wasat.

Alistair Burt: ​The Bahraini Ministry of Interior suspended Al Wasat in June. We are monitoring the situation closely. Where we have concerns we raise them at an appropriate level with the Government of Bahrain.

Bahrain: National Security

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has provided technical assistance to the Bahrain National Security Agency.

Alistair Burt: It is a long standing policy of successive British Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.

Sayed Alwadaei

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Kingdom of Bahrain on the treatment of family members of Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei.

Alistair Burt: The British Government raises concerns about human rights with the Bahraini authorities in private and in public. We encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our Embassy in Bahrain are monitoring this issue closely.The Ministry of Interior Ombudsman has responsibility for investigating allegations of mistreatment in detention. We encourage all those with concerns about their treatment in detention to report these directly to the Ombudsman, and we urge the Ombudsman to carry out thorough investigations into any such allegations.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on upholding the one country, two systems principle in Hong Kong.

Mark Field: I had a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador on 5 July, during which I stressed the importance of respect for 'One Country, Two Systems'. I made clear the UK's strong commitment to the Sino-British Joint Declaration: a recognition that it remains a legally binding treaty until 2047, is registered with the UN and continues to be in force. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), also discussed Hong Kong issues at a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 16 February 2017. To mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Foreign Secretary issued a Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 29 June http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statements/

Gaza: Hospitals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will support the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs emergency fuel fund for hospitals in the Gaza Strip; and what discussions he has had with his Palestinian and Israeli counterparts on efforts to end the electricity crisis in that region.

Alistair Burt: ​The UK continues to believe that the best solution is a political agreement between all parties on sustainable solution to increase the electricity supply to Gaza. The UK is urging immediate discussions to alleviate the situation. Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv and our Consul-General in Jerusalem have raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities and the Palestinian Authority respectively. I raised the situation in Gaza with the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister and the Israeli Ambassador to London on 22 and 23 June respectively.

USA: Climate Change Convention

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what effect the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement may have on UK contributions to that agreement's goals.

Mark Field: ​The US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement will not impact in any way the UK's commitment to implementing it.

UN Mission in South Sudan

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help to ensure that the UN Mission in South Sudan can fulfil its mandate in that country.

Rory Stewart: The UK strongly supports the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and we continue to lobby the Government of South Sudan to cooperate fully with the mission so that it is able to fulfil its mandate to protect civilians, monitor the human rights situation in South Sudan, and secure the delivery of humanitarian aid.As part of our commitment to the pursuit of peace and stability in South Sudan, we have contributed up to 400 medical and engineering troops to UNMISS to provide vital engineering and medical support, which will help to improve the delivery of the mission. This is the UK's largest global deployment of UN peacekeeping troops.

South Sudan: Politics and Government

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help to ensure that members of South Sudanese civil society can effectively participate in the national dialogue process.

Rory Stewart: The Government's view is that the recent expansion of the membership of the National Dialogue is a step in the right direction. The dialogue must be inclusive. But there is still very limited representation of the many constituencies opposed to the Government of South Sudan, and insufficient mechanisms for civil society to engage. Political freedom and a free media are essential elements of any successful process.The UK continues to call on all parties to cease hostilities, allow access for humanitarian aid workers, and engage in genuine dialogue.

John Cantlie

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent information his Department has received on the wellbeing of the hostage John Cantlie; and what steps his Department is taking to secure Mr Cantlie's release.

Alistair Burt: ​It is the Government’s longstanding policy not to comment on our operational response to kidnaps overseas. We continue to provide support to Mr Cantlie’s family.

Libya: Terrorism

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made on the release of Libyan assets in the UK to compensate the UK victims of Gaddafi-IRA sponsored violence; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK wishes to see a just settlement for all victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue of compensation most recently during his meeting with Prime Minister Serraj in Tripoli on 4 May 2017. He emphasised again the importance the UK attaches to this issue and encouraged the Libyan authorities to engage with UK victims' groups and their representatives. Prime Minister Serraj expressed sympathy with those who had suffered from the previous regime, but it was also clear from his discussion with the Foreign Secretary that the Libyan government continues to face numerous challenges and that progress on the issue of compensation is likely to remain slow. We will continue to make clear to the Libyan authorities that this issue is a priority for us.Libyan assets in the UK were frozen under UN Security Council Resolution 1973 at the instigation of the Libyan authorities in 2011. In order to amend the UN resolution governing the freezing of Libyan assets in the UK, the Libyan government would need to submit a request to the UN Security Council. The UK is not aware of any such request. There is no legal basis which would permit releasing frozen funds to compensate victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism, and also no legal basis upon which the UK could withhold Libyan assets once the relevant Libyan entities are removed from the list and the assets unfrozen. Once these assets are released they belong to the people of Libya and by law have to be returned for their benefit.

Cabinet Office

Polling Stations: Disability

Grahame Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will introduce legislation to require all polling stations to be accessible to people with disabilities.

Chris Skidmore: Under the Representation of the People Act 1983 local authorities who are responsible for designating polling places, within which polling stations are located must seek to ensure that so far as is reasonable and practicable every polling place for which it is responsible is accessible to electors who are disabled. The Government has established the accessibility to elections working group, including MENCAP and RNIB, and is determined to ensure that all polling stations are as accessible as possible in order to ensure people with disabilities can participate fully in our democracy.

Political Parties: Regulation

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will ask the Electoral Commission to review political parties' compliance with regulations during the 2017 General Election.

Chris Skidmore: The Government expects an Electoral Commission report on the 2017 General Election in due course. The Commission is an independent regulator which reports directly to the UK Parliament. It is responsible for registering political parties and regulating the spending of and donations and loans to them, and has a statutory duty to report on the administration of certain major electoral events, including UK Parliamentary general elections. The Commission also has a duty to keep under review and report on the law relating to elections.

Constituencies

Dr David Drew: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has plans to postpone the 2018 Boundary Commission Review.

Chris Skidmore: The Government's manifesto re-affirms the commitment to deliver equal and updated boundaries and reduce the size of the House of Commons. Following laws already passed by Parliament, the independent and impartial Boundary Commissions are consulting on their proposals to deliver the boundary changes, and they will submit their final proposals to Parliament in autumn 2018. These reforms will ensure fair and equal representation for the voting public across the United Kingdom. Equalising the size of constituencies in the Boundary Review will ensure everyone’s vote will carry equal weight. Without such boundary reforms, MPs could end up representing constituencies based on data that is over 20 years’ old, disregarding significant changes in demographics, house building and migration.

Department for International Development

Department for International Development: ICT

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the amount of manual processing on paper that it carries out and to make such processing digital.

Rory Stewart: Management of aid programmes, including procurement and payments, is managed through electronic systems. In addition, corporate support functions for managing staff and facilities management are also undertaken on electronic systems. There are a limited number of processes where use of paper is required.DFID will continue to review processes and use evolving digital technology to reduce manual processing on paper.

Department for Education

Students: Religion

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance has been published on supporting religious minorities studying at university.

Joseph Johnson: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have responsibilities to support their students, ensuring that they do not face harassment, abuse or violence. They are expected to comply with their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010.The Government published general guidance on the Equality Act 2010 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance). Specific guidance for HEIs is produced by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) which supports equality and diversity for staff and students in HEIs across the UK. Their publications include guidance on the implications for HEIs of the Equality Act 2010 which is available online (www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/equality-legislation/) and guidance on supporting the practice and expression of religion and belief amongst staff and students (http://www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/inclusive-environment/providing-support/religion-belief/).In September 2015 the Government asked Universities UK (UUK) to set up a Harassment Taskforce, composed of university leaders, student representatives and academic experts, to consider what more can be done to address harassment on campus, including on the basis of religion and belief. The taskforce published its report, ‘Changing the Culture’, on 21 October 2016 which makes clear recommendations about steps universities can take to ensure an effective and tailored response to hate crime or harassment based on an individual’s religious belief and recommends that institutions adopt a zero-tolerance approach. (http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Documents/2016/changing-the-culture.pdf#search=taskforce).The Higher Education and Research Act (2017) enables, for the first time, an alternative student finance product to be offered. This would be equivalent to a student loan but will be consistent with the principles of Islamic finance, and should help support equality of opportunity.

Pupils: Attendance

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has had any discussions on potential discrimination faced by children with illnesses and disabilities which prevent them from being eligible for 100 percent attendance awards at school due to the need to attend regular medical appointments.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department does not have a national policy on how schools in England use reward systems to incentivise good attendance. It is for schools to decide whether they choose to use schemes such as school attendance awards. Schools in Wales are a devolved matter for the Welsh government. Schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010, to have due regard to the need to eliminate conduct that is prohibited by the Act, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. Those duties on schools apply to any schemes relating to incentivising attendance.

Springwood Heath School

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much high need funding Springwood Heath Primary School in Garston and Halewood constituency received for (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18; and how much funding that school is planned to receive for (i) 2019-20 and (ii) 2020-21.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Schools receive their high needs funding from the local authority. Information about the level of high needs funding received by individual schools is not collected centrally. If a school has concerns about the level of funding it receives for its pupils with special educational needs, it should discuss them with their local authority.

GCE A-level: Knowsley

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 20 July 2016 to Question 43655, what progress she has made on ensuring that A-level provision will be available in Knowsley Metropolitan Borough by September 2017.

Anne Milton: I understand that Maria Eagle met with the Chief Executive of the Education and Skills Funding Agency, Peter Lauener, on 7 December 2016, when she was assured that the department continues to work with the local authority Executive Director (Children) to determine the demand for A level provision above and beyond existing accessible provision. Following a number of meetings, both the local authority and department have concluded that there is no clear evidence of immediate demand for A Level provision above and beyond that which currently exists and is available. The most recent meeting, confirming this position, took place on 15 June 2017. The department remains committed to working with the local authority on a continued basis in order to review the need to establish new viable A Level provision within Knowsley Metropolitan Borough, and will consider taking steps to implement appropriate A Level provision should demand arise in the future. In the interim, the local authority confirmed that it is working with a local college to look at ways to improve KS4 attainment within Knowsley Metropolitan Borough. Knowsley Metropolitan Borough will also benefit from some limited A Level provision brought about through Knowsley Community College’s pending merger with St Helens College, where A Level provision will be delivered in the borough from September 2018.

Free School Meals

Alex Burghart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of white pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who were eligible for free school meals in any of the previous six years were children in need at any point in their life.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I am sorry, but we do not hold information in the requested format on the number and proportion of white pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who were eligible for free school meals in any of the previous six years and were children in need at any point in their life

Pre-school Education

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of planned increases in the national minimum wage and the national living wage on the financial sustainability of non-maintained childcare and early education providers.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government will be investing £1 billion extra every year for the early years entitlements, including over £300 million a year to increase local authorities hourly funding rates. Local authorities are required to pass the vast majority of their funding on to early years providers so that they can deliver the entitlements on a sustainable and high-quality basis. The Government’s increased level of funding is based on the “Review of Childcare Costs” which looked at both the current costs of childcare provision and the implications of future cost pressures including the National Living Wage. Recent research conducted by Frontier Economics, calculated the average hourly costs of providing childcare, and the Government’s new funding rates compare very favourably to these. The Government is also providing guidance, tools and support for providers to help make their businesses more sustainable and efficient.

Primary Education: Free School Meals

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on universal infant free school meals; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: My Rt hon friend, the Minister of State for School Standards, confirmed on 4 July that infants will continue to receive universal infant school meals.

Primary Education: Nurseries

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding will be made available in capital funding to help primary schools develop nurseries where they currently do not have the facilities to provide one in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20, (d) 2020-21 and (e) 2021-22.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We know that high-quality childcare is important not just for working parents but also for a child’s development and school readiness. We will provide more details on our plans in due course.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timetable is for software allowing early years providers to check eligibility for 30-hours free childcare to be available for use.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Education has provided £2.15m funding to enable local authorities to develop IT solutions for automated eligibility code-checking for 30 hours free childcare. By automating the validation of 30 hours eligibility codes we aim to reduce any administrative burdens on the Early Years providers and local authorities. The Department has delivered this funding to develop IT solutions in addition to providing the existing ability to check eligibility codes via a web browser. Some local authorities have chosen to use software suppliers for their IT solutions and the Department for Education is unable to intervene in these individual commercial relationships. However, the Department has previously discussed with the software suppliers their capability to deliver IT solutions to check 30 hours eligibility codes prior to September 2017. As of 29 June 2017, 109 local authorities have fully developed and accredited their IT solutions and the Department for Education forecast is that 150 local authorities will have IT solutions implemented by the end of August 2017.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of a reduction in the number of childminders on the implementation of her Department's 30-hours free childcare policy.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Childminders are a valuable part of the childcare sector and we want to see them play a full role in delivering the 30 hours childcare entitlement. In our early implementer areas, providers have been able to meet the parental demand for 30 hours, with many childminders working in partnership with other providers to deliver a flexible offer. We are committed to ensuring childminders have the support they need to deliver all the free entitlements and in the most recently published census data for provision under fives, we were pleased to see an increase in the number of childminders delivering free places for three and four year olds. The census data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/622632/SFR29_2017_Text.pdf.Our recent reforms are designed to make it easier to work as a childminder and support the profession. These reforms included making it easier for childminders to access government funding, and to work for up to 50% of their time on non-domestic premises. They also refocus the Childcare Business Grant Scheme solely on childminding businesses.

Primary Education: Free School Meals

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review funding for universal infant free school meals.

Mr Robert Goodwill: My Rt hon. Friend, the Minister of State for School Standards, confirmed on 4 July that infants will continue to receive universal infant school meals.

Schools: Food

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on the introduction of the healthy schools rating scheme.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Childhood obesity: a plan for action, published in August 2016, included a commitment to introduce a new voluntary healthy rating scheme for primary schools to recognise and encourage their contribution to preventing obesity We are now reflecting on the feedback received from interested parties and we will come forward with proposals to take the scheme forward in due course. . The Department for Education published a prior information notice on 20 December 2016, which gave potential suppliers an overview of the type of services required by this scheme. In spring 2017, the department held meetings with interested suppliers to discuss the scheme.

Pre-school Education: Food

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the new early years menus for childcare settings; and what plans she has to publicise those menus.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The new example menus for early years settings are to be published in due course. We will set out our plans for publicising the menus at that time.

Schools: Food

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to review and update school food standards.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The School Food Standards, where they apply, provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide pupils with healthy food and drink options. In Childhood obesity: a plan for action, published in August 2016, we indicated that we will update the standards in light of refreshed government dietary recommendations, and we have committed to reviewing the standards to align with the latest scientific advice on sugar.We are in the process of confirming the timelines for this piece of work and further information will be available in due course.

Employment: Disadvantaged

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on implementing the recommendations on devolving accountability and resources to enable the development of local skills  strategies that bring employers to areas of the UK with the lowest levels of pay, set out in the Social Mobility Commission report, Time for Change, published in June 2017.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education welcomes the Social Mobility Commission’s latest report and its findings. We have invested in 12 Opportunity Areas to enable local communities, working with businesses, the education sector and Government to identify local solutions to drive up social mobility.We want to see the devolution deals agreed with seven Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Mayor of London make significant progress in this area and subject to readiness conditions being met, these will include devolution of the Adult Education Budget.

Social Mobility

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the recommendations in the Social Mobility Commission's report, entitled The Time for Change, published 28 June 2017, what plans she has to develop and implement a new social mobility test for public policy.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the recommendations in the Social Mobility Commission's report, entitled The Time for Change, published 28 June 2017, what plans she has to develop a strategic cross-departmental social mobility plan.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Education welcomes the Commission’s report, published on 28 June, which considers efforts to improve social mobility over the last twenty years. The Commission rightly concludes that too often life chances can be determined, not by effort and talents, but where you come from, who your parents are and what school you attended. The Department will set out further details on policy to tackle this social injustice in due course. Thanks to the Government’s reforms, there are 1.8 million more pupils in good or outstanding schools than in 2010, and we are delivering three million apprenticeship places, opening up access to our higher education system and investing £500 million a year into technical education. However, we want to go further. The Social Mobility Commission’s previous analysis has contributed to our understanding of the geography of social mobility, and last year we launched our £72 million Opportunity Areas programme. This brings together local businesses, schools and councils in 12 social mobility ‘coldspots’ to create better opportunities for young people. By working with these Opportunity Areas, identified by the Commission, we aim to better understand how we can address the barriers to social mobility from the early years to adulthood.

Ministry of Justice

Domestic Violence

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the sittings of domestic violence cases in Magistrates' Courts in England and Wales are arranged to enable independent domestic violence advisors to be in attendance as required.

Dominic Raab: Listing of cases is the responsibility of the Judiciary, however in magistrates’ courts domestic violence cases are often listed together to enable Independent Domestic Violence Advisers to be available to support victims of domestic violence at court hearings.

Prisoners

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the process is for (a) determining the category of prisoners to be held in a prison and (b) changing the category of prisoners to be incarcerated in (i) an existing and (ii) a planned prison.

Mr Sam Gyimah: All prisoners undergo a thorough individual risk assessment following conviction and sentencing and placed in a prison suitable to their risk. Assessed risks are risk of escape and of harm to the public in the event of escape/abscond and risk to the good order of the establishment and the safety of those within it. The prison estate is organised in categories of risk ranging from category A for the highest risk offenders to category D for those posing the lowest risk. Balanced alongside this is the need to separate specific cohorts of prisoners such as women and young people and deal with prisoners who are particularly difficult, or whose management requires particular expertise, such as very high risk or especially vulnerable prisoners. The procedure for changing a prison’s security categorisation would be the same for new prisons as existing ones. This includes a comprehensive assessment of the physical security of a prison’s infrastructure, the necessary staffing levels to manage the desired population and the adequacy of ancillary and partner services, including health care, activities and education.

Prisons

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how his Department determines whether (a) an existing or (b) a new prison is run by a (i) public or (ii) private operator.

Dominic Raab: No decision has been made on whether to compete the new prisons and there are currently no plans to compete existing prisons. A number of factors are considered in determining whether to compete the operation of prisons. These include the outcomes we want to achieve and what is best value for money for the taxpayer.

Prisons: Port Talbot

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which criteria were used by his Department to identify land on which to build the proposed prison in Port Talbot.

Dominic Raab: The site-specific criteria used to select potential sites for a proposed new prison are as follows: Sites of a minimum of around six flat hectares (around 15 acres) of developable area;No clear impediments to achieving planning permission for a prison;Ground conditions such that no abnormal costs expected during development (i.e. not marsh or flood plain and avoiding high probability flood zone);Possible to connect to utilities (water, sewage, gas, electricity) without unreasonable cost;Good access to public transport and motorways or trunk roads;Accessible for prison construction without major enhancement of existing transport infrastructure;No known major factors such as ecological or historic designations on the site or on adjoining land that could prejudice development;Any contamination is manageable;Suitable shape for development;Previously developed or brownfield site; andNo significant Public Right of Way, third party rights of access or covenants. We evaluated over 20 sites in South Wales. We prioritised publicly owned land as we estimated this would provide better value for money for the taxpayer, due to the economic and strategic benefit of doing this rather than going to the market. A strategic preference for sites located along the M4 motorway corridor, for accessibility, and travel time benefits were also identified. This led to 11 publicly owned sites being considered further, with Port Talbot being selected as the best potential site for a new prison build, taking into account the criteria listed above.

Industrial Disputes: Shrewsbury

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress the Criminal Cases Review Commission has made on its review into the Shrewsbury 24 case.

Dominic Raab: The Criminal Cases Review Commission’s review of the applications from the ‘Shrewsbury 24’ is progressing. The Commission are currently considering additional documentation relating to this case. I know that the CCRC will consider this - and the views of the applicants about this material - with care. I understand that the Commission hope to complete their review of this case before the end of the year.

Prime Minister

General Election 2017: Scotland

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland on negotiations between the Government and the Democratic Unionist Party on a confidence and supply.

Mrs Theresa May: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Mr Blackford) on 28 June 2017, Official Report, column 590.

Ruth Davidson

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Prime Minister, how many meetings of (a) her and (b) her predecessor's Cabinet Ruth Davidson MSP was invited to; and how many of each category of those meetings she attended.

Mrs Theresa May: Only UK Government Ministers are members of the Cabinet. Members of the devolved legislatures do not attend official meetings of the UK Government Cabinet.

Andrew Davies

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Prime Minister, how many meetings of (a) her and (b) her predecessor's Cabinet Andrew Davies AM was invited to; and how many of those meetings he attended in each category.

Mrs Theresa May: Only UK Government Ministers are members of the Cabinet. Members of the devolved legislatures do not attend official meetings of the UK Government Cabinet.

Syria: Military Intervention

Lucy Powell: To ask the Prime Minister, when the Government plans to respond to the report of the Intelligence and Security Committee, UK Lethal Drone Strikes in Syria, published on 26 April 2017.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to the report of the Intelligence and Security Committee, UK Lethal Drone Strikes in Syria, published on 26 April 2017, what assessment she has made of the compatibility of that Committee's investigation with the procedural obligations flowing from Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Mrs Theresa May: The Intelligence and Security Committee is an independent body of Parliament which is a crucial part of the intelligence oversight system. How it conducts its investigations is a matter for the committee. The Government will respond to the report once a new committee has been formed.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Rotherhithe and Poplar

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the oral statement of the First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office of 26 June 2017, Official Report, column 329, when the Rotherhithe and Poplar SE16 postcode area will have full access to superfast broadband.

Matt Hancock: The Government is committed to improving digital connectivity right across the country. Overall UK superfast broadband national coverage is on track to reach 95% of premises by December 2017. The Government expects the commercial sector to ensure full superfast broadband coverage within dense urban areas such as Rotherhithe and Poplar. In Greater London, superfast broadband now covers approximately 96% of premises, an increase of 2% in the last 12 months. Additionally, our Universal Service Obligation will ensure that by 2020 every home and every business in Britain has access to high speed broadband.

Broadband

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to prepare for the roll-out of ultrafast broadband.

Matt Hancock: The UK has made considerable progress so far in extending ultrafast broadband through full fibre and other connectivity technologies. According to thinkbroadband, over 52% of the UK has access to ultrafast speeds of 100 Megabits per second or more. The Government’s aim is to provide ultrafast connectivity to as many businesses and homes as possible. We will achieve this by developing approaches to show how new investment from government and the private sector could transform the UK’s full fibre availability. We have set in train our investment plans for extending full fibre, investing £200m to fund locally-led projects across the UK to leverage local and commercial investment in full fibre, beginning the first wave of projects in 2017. We are preparing plans to introduce a full fibre connection voucher for companies across the country by 2018. As we announced on the 3rd July, the £400 million Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund will unlock over £1 billion for full fibre broadband, and kick-start better broadband connections across the country. Further information can be found here (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-connectivity-boost-to-make-buffering-a-thing-of-the-past)

SS Mantola: Salvage

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether any salvage retrieved from SS Mantola has to comply with the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

John Glen: The United Kingdom is not a signatory to the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, but has endorsed as good practice the rules set out in its Annex concerning activities directed at underwater cultural heritage. Now that the wreck of the SS Mantola is over 100 years old, having been sunk in Feb 1917, any salvage activities sanctioned or contracted in advance by HMG would take into account the requirements of the Convention.

Department for Work and Pensions

Health and Safety Executive: Expenditure

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the annual budget has been for the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last three years.

Penny Mordaunt: The Health and Safety Executive’s annual budget is published in its Annual Report and Accounts, which is as follows for the last three years:  2016-17 £m2015-16 £m2014-15 £mHSE total operating expenditure224224219

Health and Safety Executive: Redundancy

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff have been made redundant by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last three years.

Penny Mordaunt: The number of staff who have been made redundant over the last three years is:  2014/152015/162016/170048

Health and Safety Executive: Prosecutions

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of prosecutions pursued by the Health and Safety Executive have been successful in each of the last three years.

Penny Mordaunt: The conviction rates for the last three years are: Conviction Rate for cases heard (%) in 2013/14: 94% Conviction Rate for cases heard (%) in 2014/15: 94% Conviction Rate for cases heard (%) in 2015/16: 95%

Health and Safety Executive: Prosecutions

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many prosecutions have been commenced by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last three years.

Penny Mordaunt: The information is not available in the format requested and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

Health and Safety Executive: Inspections

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many inspections have been conducted by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last three years.

Penny Mordaunt: The number of inspections conducted by the Health and Safety Executive is published in its Annual Report and Accounts, which is as follows for the last 3 years: YearNumber of inspections2016/17c20,0002015/16c18,0002014/15c20,200 c – circa (around)

Health and Safety Executive: Staff

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been employed by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last three years.

Penny Mordaunt: The number of people employed by HSE over the last three years is:  2014/152015/162016/17257525762524

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Plants: Diseases

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk to wildlife in the UK from the plant disease Xylella fastidiosa; if he will make it his policy to invoke the precautionary principle to introduce a moratorium on the import of all live plants other than those grown through propagation in sterile conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 8 March 2016 to Question HL6483, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on controlling the spread of (a) Xylella fastidiosa and (b) other plant diseases present in Europe; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Keeping our plants and trees healthy is important for our economy, the environment and our health, and our robust approach to protecting against plant health threats involves close collaboration with international partners. This will continue to be the case after we leave the European Union. Restrictions on the movement of high-risk host plants from the affected areas in the EU are already in place and full inspections take place on host plants from outside the EU. We are now pressing at an EU level for the protections against Xylella fastidiosa to be further strengthened and will continue to keep this issue under review nationally. Due to the rules of the Single Market, it is currently simpler for the UK to impose restrictions on the import of plants from outside the EU than it is on plants from within the EU where there is a threat to the UK. Within the EU, restrictions are decided at EU level, but outside the EU they can be decided at national level. Leaving the EU therefore provides an opportunity to examine how we can introduce stricter biosecurity measures on imports from remaining Member States, providing better protection against these serious threats.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many new directives relating to his Department's responsibilities are under negotiation in the EU.

George Eustice: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for measures relating to the environment, agriculture, fisheries, food, animal and plant health and the management of natural hazards such as flooding. A number of these dossiers are currently under discussion in the EU, including:Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the cloning of animals of the bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine and equine species kept and reproduced for farming purposes (COM(2013) 892 final);Proposal for a Council Directive on the placing on the market of food from clones (COM (2013) 893 final);Proposed repeal of the Environment Reporting Directive 91/692/EEC;Waste (proposed revision of four directives: 2008/98/EC, 1999/31/EC, 94/62/EC and 2000/53/EC); andProposed amending Directive 2011/65/EU on the Restriction on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances Directive in electrical and electronic equipment . The Department provides Explanatory Memoranda to Parliament on any proposals defined by the terms of reference of the parliamentary EU scrutiny committees, which can be found online at http://europeanmemoranda.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/search/findby-topic. Each proposal from the EU on any dossier (along with reports etc.) is deposited in the Library of the House accompanied by an Explanatory Memorandum and so these documents, available online, show the full range of areas currently under discussion in the EU. Until Exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many directives of the EU relating to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting incorporation into UK law.

George Eustice: Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation.   Defra has 12 Directives awaiting transposition into UK law before 29 March 2019. These are: DirectiveTitle2013/51/EURATOMDirective 2013/51/EURATOM of 22 October 2013 laying down requirements for the protection of the health of the general public with regard to radioactive substances in water intended for human consumption.2014/97/EUCommission Implementing Directive 2014/97/EU of 15 October 2014 implementing Council Directive 2008/90/EC as regards the registration of suppliers and of varieties and the common list of varieties.2014/96/EUCommission Implementing Directive 2014/96/EU of 15 October 2014 on the requirements for the labelling, sealing and packaging of fruit plant propagating material and fruit plants intended for fruit production, falling within the scope of Council Directive 2008/90/EC.2014/98/EUCommission Implementing Directive 2014/98/EU of 15 October 2014 implementing Council Directive 2008/90/EC as regards specific requirements for the genus and species of fruit plants referred to in Annex I thereto, specific requirements to be met by suppliers and detailed rules concerning official inspections.2015/412/EUCommission Directive 2015/412/EU of 11 March 2015 amending Directive 2001/18/EC as regards the possibility for the Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their territory.2015/996/EUCommission Directive (EU) 2015/996 of 19 May 2015 establishing common noise assessment methods according to Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.2015/1787/EUCommission Directive (EU) 2015/1787 of 6 October 2015 amending Annexes II and III to Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption.2015/2193/EUCommission Directive (EU) 2015/2193 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from medium combustion plants.2015/2203/EUCommission Implementing Directive EU) 2015/2203 of 25 November 2015 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to caseins and caseinates intended for human consumption and repealing Council Directive 83/417/EEC 2016/317/EUCommission Implementing Directive (EU) 2016/317 of 3 March 2016 amending Council Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 2002/54/EC, 2002/55/EC, 2002/56/EC and 2002/57/EC as regards the official label of seed packages.2016/2284/EUCommission Implementing Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of 14 December 2016 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC.2016/2109/EUCommission Implementing Directive (EU) 2016/2109 of 1 December 2016 amending Council Directive 66/401/EEC as regards the inclusion of new species and the botanical name of the species Lolium x boucheanum Kunth

Fisheries Convention

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is the Government's policy to leave the 1964 London Convention; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: On 3 July the Secretary of State tabled a Written Ministerial Statement which advised Parliament that the UK had notified its intention to withdraw from the 1964 London Fisheries Convention.

Home Office

Home Office: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many contracts put out to tender by her Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office let seven contracts over the requested time period with Charity organisations where reporting systems captured information.The Home Office also delivers with these sectors through other non-contractual arrangements with similar organisations, for example Grants and Community sponsorship agreements. Contracts Awarded20102011201220132014201520162017Charity00101410Social Enterprise00000000 Caveats:Suppliers are only classified as SME or VCS on our contracts tool. We have used wikipedia definition for Social Enterprises and applied this to our contracts list.Above numbers apply to when the contract started, not awarded, as this is how we record information on the contracts tool.

Counter-terrorism: Barking and Dagenham

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent, and from which initiatives, by the Prevent programme in Barking and Dagenham in each of the last five years; and what plans she has to sponsor Prevent programmes in Barking and Dagenham in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.

Mr Ben  Wallace: Prevent funding is prioritised based on threat and risk. We have identified 48 priority areas across England and Wales where we assess the risk of radicalisation to be highest. Each priority area receives funding for a dedicated Prevent coordinator and for civil society organisations to deliver campaigns and projects that counter terrorist narratives and build resilience in communities against radicalisation. We do not provide detailed information about the funding allocation of local Prevent projects by area.

Europol

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total number of referrals to the EU Internet Referral  Unit was; and how many of those referrals led to the deletion of internet content in each year since 2015.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions the UK accessed Europol's EU internet referral unit in each year since 1 July 2015.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The internet is a powerful tool which terrorists and extremists exploit to radicalise, recruit, inspire and incite. This Government takes seriously the issue of online terrorist and extremist content. We work in partnership with major technology firms across the spectrum of online harms, identifying ways to tackle threats. The UK has been at the forefront of the online battle against online extremist and terrorist material. In the UK our dedicated police Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) refers content that they assess as contravening UK terrorism legislation to industry. If industry agree that it breaches their terms and conditions, they remove it voluntarily. Following referrals from the police Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU), social media providers have removed over 270,000 pieces of terrorist-related material since its inception in February 2010. In 2016, CTIRU secured the removal of over 8,000 pieces of terrorist content a month.This successful model has been replicated at EU level to deal as a response to the international nature of the online threat. The UK was instrumental in the formation of the European Union Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) which went live in July 2015, following the Charlie Hebdo attacks. The EU IRU has referred over 30,000 pieces of content and successfully secured the removal of over 80% of this content since its inception in 2015. We continue to work with the EU and other international partners to push industry to take a more proactive approach to terrorist and extremist content on their platforms CTIRU have a permanent officer seconded to the EU internet referral unit so they can have access, and work closely together, continually.

European Cybercrime Centre

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of losing access to the (a) European Cybercrime Centre and (b) Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment on tackling cybercrime after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: In a modern, interconnected world, crime is increasingly international and does not respect borders. The Government is clear that effective cooperation with EU Member States on security, justice and policing in order to tackle serious organised crime will continue to be a top UK priority. The 2015 National Security Strategy (NSS) confirmed that cybercrime is a top threat to the UK’s economic and national security. The UK’s future security and prosperity depends on our ability to safeguard the digital information, data and networks at home and abroad. The cyber threats we face continue to grow in scale and sophistication. The Government will continue to invest in law enforcement capabilities to ensure delivery agencies have the capacity to deal with the increasing volume and sophistication of cyber crime. The Government values the role of Europol and that is why the UK opted-in to the new Europol Regulation, which came into force on 1 May 2017, enabling us to maintain our current access to the agency and benefit from its cooperation and operational advantages until we leave the EU.The Prime Minister has made clear that one of the twelve objectives for the negotiations ahead will be to establish a new relationship with the European Union that includes practical arrangements on matters of law enforcement cooperation to tackle cross-border crime and to keep our people safe. We continue to work closely with EU partners and we are examining the options for future cooperation once the UK has left the EU.

Children: Protection

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguarding measures are in place to protect minors who come forward with evidence to the independent inquiry on child abuse.

Sarah Newton: The Government recognises the specific difficulties that minors may face when coming forward with evidence to the Inquiry. The terms of reference for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse require it to "consider the experience of survivors of child sexual abuse; providing opportunities for them to bear witness to the Inquiry, having regard to the need to provide appropriate support in doing so".It is for the Inquiry (which operates independently of Government) to determine how to provide this appropriate support. Information about how the Inquiry supports victims and survivors who come forward with evidence are given on the Inquiry's website - www.iicsa.org.uk

Lasers

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to introduce legislative proposals on laser pen attacks.

Mr Nick Hurd: The police are able to use their core powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, such as the power of arrest, to deal with offences involving articles which are used, or intended to be used, to cause injury to persons. This would include laser pointers if they were used, or intended to be used, in such a way The Home Office does not currently have plans to introduce further legislation.

Emigration

Mrs Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people emigrated from the UK in 2016; what the destinations were of those leaving the UK, including how many entered other EU countries; and what assessment her Department has made of those trends in future net migration.

Brandon Lewis: Data on long term emigration is produced by the Office for National Statistics. The most recent data, published in May 2017, can be found at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/bulletins/migrationstatisticsquarterlyreport/may2017 Long term international migration data show that emigration was 339,000 in 2016. The data do not record destination countries. International Passenger Survey data show that there was a statistically significant increase in the estimated number of non-British citizens going home to live, from 29,000 to 52,000 in 2016. This increase was largely accounted for by EU citizens going home to live, an increase of 21,000 to 43,000.

Human Trafficking

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the potential loss of access to Europol's European Migrant Smuggling Centre on tackling human trafficking to the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on the UK's ability to fight cybercrime of the UK's potential loss of access to Europol's Joint Cybercrime action taskforce after the UK leaves the EU.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on the UK's ability to protect citizens, businesses and the state from malware attacks of the potential loss of access to the Europol Malware Analysis Solution after the UK leaves the EU.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the potential loss of access to Europol's Joint Operational Team Mare on tackling illegal migration to the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: In a modern, interconnected world, crime is increasingly international and does not respect borders. The Government is clear that effective cooperation with EU Member States on security, justice and policing in order to tackle serious organised crime will continue to be a top UK priority. The 2015 National Security Strategy (NSS) confirmed that cybercrime is a top threat to the UK’s economic and national security. The UK’s future security and prosperity depends on our ability to safeguard the digital information, data and networks at home and abroad. The cyber threats we face continue to grow in scale and sophistication. The Government will continue to invest in law enforcement capabilities to ensure delivery agencies have the capacity to deal with the increasing volume and sophistication of cyber crime. The Government values the role of Europol and that is why the UK opted-in to the new Europol Regulation, which came into force on 1 May 2017, enabling us to maintain our current access to the agency and benefit from its cooperation and operational advantages until we leave the EU.The Prime Minister has made clear that one of the twelve objectives for the negotiations ahead will be to establish a new relationship with the European Union that includes practical arrangements on matters of law enforcement cooperation to tackle cross-border crime and to keep our people safe. We continue to work closely with EU partners and we are examining the options for future cooperation once the UK has left the EU.

Terrorism: British Nationals Abroad

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government's policy is on revoking citizenship for UK citizens who join foreign armies and engage in military or terrorist actions against the UK.

Mr Ben  Wallace: Section 40 of the British Nationality Act (BNA) 1981 provides for the deprivation of British citizenship where the Secretary of State is satisfied it is conducive to the public good and would not make an individual stateless. The Immigration Act 2014 introduced a new power allowing deprivation of a naturalised British citizen where they have conducted themselves in a manner which is seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the UK and where the Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe that the person is able, under the law of another country or territory outside the UK, to become a national of that country or territory.

Public Buildings: Fire Prevention

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the legal requirements are for (a) fire risk assessments to be undertaken by a competent person and (b) who is able to carry out fire risk assessments on large public buildings.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, known as the Fire Safety Order, applies to all business and commercial premises, and to other premises to which the public have access. It requires the ‘responsible person’ (usually the employer, owner, the landlord, freeholder or managing agent) to carry out and review regularly a fire risk assessment and put in place - and maintain in good working order - fire precautions which are adequate and appropriate to manage the risk that lives could be lost in the event of a fire.The level of competency required for individual premises will vary according to their nature and complexity. The responsible person may decide that they are competent to carry out the risk assessment themselves or they may choose to appoint a competent person to undertake the risk assessment on their behalf. The requirements for a competent person are set out in the Order. A person is to be regarded as competent for the purposes of making a fire risk assessment if they have sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable them properly to assist in undertaking the preventive and protective measures.To help those responsible for ensuring that the risk from fire in their premises has been accurately assessed, the fire sector has produced guidance on how to choose a competent fire risk assessor. This is available on www.cfoa.org.uk/19532In addition, fire safety risk assessment guidance produced by the Government and by the Local Government Association, also provides advice and guidance to those responsible for fire safety compliance to help them to accurately assess the risks from fire and implement adequate and appropriate fire safety measures. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities/fire-risk-assessments

European Arrest Warrants

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many European Arrest Warrant (a) arrests, (b) requests and (c) surrenders have been made in each year since 2010.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many European Arrest Warrants have been requested by each police force since 2010.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many European Arrest Warrants have (a) been issued by the UK, (b) resulted in an extradition back to the UK and (c) resulted in an extradition back to the country requesting the warrant in each year since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: Each year the National Crime Agency publishes statistics on the European Arrest Warrants (EAW), these figures include: - The number of EAWs made or receivedThe number of arrestsThe number of surrenders The figures since 2010 are published at: - http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/european-arrest-warrant-statistics

Europol

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many kilograms of (a) drugs, (b) new psychoactive substances and (c) endangered species goods have been seized in the UK as a result of Europol operations in each year since 2010.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many weapons have been seized in the UK as a result of Europol operations in each year since 2010.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests and (b) prosecutions have taken place in the UK after Europol investigations into missing trader intra-community fraud in each year since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: In a modern, interconnected world, crime is increasingly international and does not respect borders. The Government is clear that effective cooperation with EU Member States on security, justice and policing in order to tackle serious organised crime will continue to be a top UK priority. The Government values the role of Europol and that is why the UK opted-in to the new Europol Regulation, which came into force on 1 May 2017, enabling us to maintain our current access to the agency and benefit from its cooperation and operational advantages until we leave the EU. Intelligence exchange between UK law enforcement and Europol is well-established and takes place on a daily and routine basis on a wide range of criminal activity. The National Crime Agency (NCA) also support Europol with seconded staff. This cooperation continues to assist UK efforts to tackle cross-border crime impacting on the UK. The specific data requested on how Europol operations and investigations have contributed to seizures, arrests and prosecutions in the UK is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Crime: Databases

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential loss of access to the Schengen Information System on tackling crime after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The Prime Minister has made clear that one of the twelve objectives for the negotiations ahead will be to establish a new relationship with the European Union that includes practical arrangements on matters of law enforcement cooperation to tackle cross-border crime and to keep our people safe. We continue to work closely with EU partners and we are examining the options for future cooperation on measures such as SIS II once the UK has left the EU but it is too early to speculate at this stage what future arrangements may look like.

European Arrest Warrants

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on the Crown Prosecution Service of the potential loss of access to the European Arrest Warrant.

Brandon Lewis: The Government will look to establish a new relationship with the European Union that includes practical arrangements on matters of law enforcement cooperation to tackle cross-border crime and to keep our people safe. We continue to work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service on the options for future cooperation once the UK has left the EU.

Domestic Appliances: Fires

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with fire and rescue services on preventing and reducing the number of electrical fires in domestic dwellings.

Mr Nick Hurd: My department has regular discussions with the National Fire Chiefs Council and individual fire and rescue services on their preventative work.We have invested in the Fire Kills campaign and Electrical Safety Week, run in close partnership with fire and rescue authorities in England, which promotes a range of domestic safety messages including on electrical fire safety, to ensure householders take appropriate action to prevent accidental fires and understand how best they can protect themselves and their families.

Fire Prevention

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to expand the Fire Kills campaign.

Mr Nick Hurd: We are currently undertaking a review of the Fire Kills campaign and the impact of recent events will be considered within the review.

Drugs: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Greater Manchester Police on the recent discovery of a new crystalised form of the drug Spice in that area.

Sarah Newton: My officials have been in contact with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Greater Manchester Police and the local public health team in Manchester about synthetic cannabinoids, such as those found in spice.

HM Treasury

Barclays: Closures

Dan Carden: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department has had with Barclays on its programme of branch closures.

Stephen Barclay: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Public Sector: Borrowing

Dan Carden: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister since 9 June 2017 on increasing Government borrowing to invest in national infrastructure; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The Chancellor has regular discussions with the Prime Minister and other Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues including government investment in infrastructure. At the Autumn Statement the Chancellor introduced the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) which will provide an additional £23bn of investment between 2017/18 and 2020/21. The NPIF will be targeted at infrastructure, housing, and research and development. The government is getting on with delivering this additional investment. For instance on Tuesday 4th July, the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government launched the £2.3bn Housing Infrastructure Fund. The NPIF comes on top of previous commitments already set out, including the biggest investment in transport infrastructure in generations.

Financial Services: ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to promote the use of blockchain technology in the financial sector; and what assessment the Government has made of the need for greater regulation of blockchain technology in that sector.

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to (a) promote and (b) ensure adequate regulation of blockchain technology in the financial sector.

Stephen Barclay: The government’s ambition is for the UK to consolidate its world-leading position in FinTech and to become the leading global hub for financial innovation. We have taken, and will continue to take, key policy steps to achieve this.  Blockchain technology could offer significant benefits across the economy, including in Financial Services. Accordingly, the Industry is assessing the potential benefits of blockchain and whether regulation is a barrier to innovation.  The government’s most direct interface with the FinTech industry is the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), through its world-leading Innovation Hub to help innovative businesses that are looking to introduce ground-breaking products or services to financial services, a model being replicated around the world.  On 10 April, the FCA launched a discussion paper to gauge industry’s views on the future development of blockchain – and potential barriers to this - which closes in 17 July 2017. In addition, the FCA is continuing to learn from blockchain use cases being tested in its Regulatory Sandbox.  The government looks forward to hearing the outcome of the FCA’s work, and will act to remove identified barriers to the adoption of blockchain, or address identified risks, subject to wider objectives including financial stability and consumer protection.

Public Sector: Pay

Royston Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in the personal allowance threshold and the one per cent public sector pay cap on household incomes in the last seven years.

Mel Stride: The Government has made no formal assessment of the impact of the increase of the personal allowance threshold on household incomes. For individuals, a typical basic rate taxpayer will pay £1,005 less income tax in 2017-18 than in 2010-11, and 1.3 million individuals will be taken out of income tax altogether by 2017-18 (compared to 2015-16), as a result of the Government’s action to increase the personal allowance to £11,500 in April 2017. The pay for an individual public sector worker is affected by several factors including progression pay, allowances and the one per cent pay policy. It will therefore vary by individual. HM Treasury does not collect this data centrally.

Inflation

Royston Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent rises in inflation on the standard of living for the lowest income households.

Stephen Barclay: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expect inflation to average 2.4% over 2017 and 2.3% over 2018. Their forecast was reflected in the distributional analysis published alongside Spring Budget 2017. The Government is taking action to support the lowest income households. This includes increasing the National Living Wage, raising the personal allowance, and freezing fuel duty.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Immigration: EU Nationals

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the current offer for EU citizens in the UK may be subject to change as a result of negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: In ‘Safeguarding the position of EU Citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU’, the Prime Minister set out a fair and serious offer. We want to reach a reciprocal agreement for EU citizens in Britain and UK nationals in Europe as quickly as possible. The exact reciprocal agreements will be reached through negotiations with our European partners.

Department for International Trade

Film: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department has taken to support the film industry in the North East.

Mark Garnier: The Department for International Trade (DIT) provides a range of grant support to film companies, including those in the North East, to attend international film festivals and events. At a regional level, the Northern Powerhouse has provided grant support for companies in the North East to take part in trade missions to attend international film festivals and markets. There have been missions to the last 5 editions of the American Film Market, which takes place in Los Angeles each November and another mission is provisionally planned for this November. At a national level, North East film companies can access DIT’s international programme of activities, including support through the Tradeshow Access Programme where eligible film SMEs get grant support to attend international film festivals and markets in Toronto, Los Angeles, Berlin and Hong Kong. In addition, the British Film Commission provides support to international film clients to identify and use locations for filming across the North East.

Trade Agreements

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which countries he has opened a dialogue with on trade deals after the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands: We have established a series of working groups and high-level dialogues with key trading partners, to explore the best ways to progress our trade and investment relationships. We have already announced ten working groups with the United States, Australia, China, Israel, India, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Turkey and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Department of Health

Health Professions: Maternity Leave

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has published on ensuring exemptions for female health care professionals returning from maternity leave.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department has not published guidelines on ensuring excemptions for female healthcare professionals returning from maternity leave. However, the Department commissions NHS Employers to work with colleagues on the NHS Staff Council1 to ensure National Health Service terms and conditions of service are up to date and fit for purpose, Section 15 covering “maternity leave and pay”. This section includes ‘health and safety of employees: pre and post birth’ which reflects the need for employers to consider exemptions. The relevant section of the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook can be found at:http://www.nhsemployers.org/tchandbook Note:1 The national NHS Staff Council has overall responsibility for the Agenda for Change pay system and has representatives from both employers and trade unions.Its remit includes: maintaining the Agenda for Change pay system, for staff on Agenda for Change and reflecting these in the NHS terms and conditions of service handbook and providing national support on interpreting the national agreement for employers and trade unions. The NHS terms and conditions of service handbook can be accessed at the following link: http://www.nhsemployers.org/tchandbook

NHS: Greater London

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when a public consultation will be held on the capped expenditure process in North Central London.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with (a) NHS England and (b) NHS Improvement on how the capped expenditure process affects NHS services in the London Borough of Enfield.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the capped expenditure process on the NHS's ability to use and retain patient data.

Mr Philip Dunne: The National Health Service and wider health system has examined how to sustain and improve care – which produced the NHS Five Year Forward View. The Government committed to providing an additional £10 billion in real terms by 2020-21 to back the NHS’ plan, enabling it to deliver key priorities like seven day care, improved access to cancer treatments and better mental health services. All public services, local NHS areas need to live within the budget agreed – otherwise they effectively take up resources that could be spent on general practitioners, mental health care, and cancer treatment. As part of their financial planning, NHS England and NHS Improvement have been running a process to look at how a small number of areas could do more to balance their financial plans, as many already have. The National Health Service is required to meet its operational standards as set out in the mandate and ensure access to appropriate care for all, in line with the NHS Constitution. It is right that the NHS should consider efficiency savings such as reducing delayed transfers of care, reducing running costs, or reviewing treatments that are of low clinical effectiveness – because this improves patient care overall. The Capped Expenditure Process is an extension of the annual planning process, and as such the usual consultation requirements are unchanged in respect of any proposed major service reconfigurations. We also do not expect that this should affect the appropriate use or availability of patient data.

NHS: Greater London

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consultation has been undertaken to assess the effect of potential NHS service consolidation in (a) the London Borough of Enfield and (b) North Central London.

Mr Philip Dunne: Health organisations across North London are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to make sure they deliver safe and effective patient care within budget. North London Sustainability and Transformation partnership consists of health organisations and local authorities across the London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington. If holding a consultation does become appropriate as a result of planned significant service change then a full public consultation will take place. The proposals must have support from clinical commissioners, clarity on the clinical evidence base, robust patient and public engagement and support for patient choice. There is additional NHS England guidance which means that proposed service reconfigurations should be tested for their impact on overall bed numbers in the area. It is right that these decisions are led by local clinicians, who best understand the healthcare needs of their local populations.

Midwives: Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of midwives at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.

Mr Philip Dunne: Local National Health Service providers are responsible for ensuring safe staff levels, including midwifery levels, to meet the needs of its local population. Since 2010 there are 1,275 more midwives working in the NHS. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has informed the Department that it has commenced a recruitment drive to secure more permanent midwives to manage currently unfilled shifts due to higher than usual staff absence and long-term sickness.

Health Professions: Training

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make representations to the Department for Health to reintroduce NHS bursaries to reduce the need for overseas recruitment.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Government remains committed to reforming nursing, midwifery and allied health pre-registration education and increasing the number of places available for students for students so that two in three nursing applicants are no longer turned down for a place; at the same time ensuring these students have more cash available to them while they study. Universities and Colleges Admissions Service data show that up to March 2017 there had been around two nurse applicants per available training place. Health Education England is confident that the National Health Service will have the required number of students it needs starting courses this year and will continue to work with the education sector to deliver these reforms successfully for the longer term. It should also be noted that students will continue to apply for courses up to September and through clearing.

Health Professions: Social Mobility

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Social Mobility Commission report, Time for Change: An Assessment of Government Policies on Social Mobility 1997-2017, what steps he plans to take to tackle low levels of social mobility in the medical profession.

Mr Philip Dunne: Medical schools already offer a variety of outreach schemes for students wishing to study medicine as a career, with some offering summer school for secondary school age students that assist with medical school applications and gaining work experience, while others undertake outreach to primary schools to inspire children at a young age to consider medicine as a career. In expanding the number of medical schools places in England by 1,500 the Government set out its commitment and clear intention that widening participation and increasing social mobility would be central to this historic expansion. Funding an additional 1,500 medical school places in England will provide more opportunities for people to study for a career in medicine, regardless of their social and economic background or the school at which they studied. This approach will mean intelligent and motivated people, regardless of their background, are no longer turned away by medical schools and forced to do other degrees.

Health Services

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure that (a) patients and (b) the public are consulted on the creation of Accountable Care Systems.

Steve Brine: Next Steps on the Five Year Forward View described Accountable Care Systems (ACS) as an ‘evolved’ version of a Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP), working as a locally integrated health system. Simon Stevens announced at the NHS Confederation Conference that nine areas, covering eight STPs, would become ACSs in the first wave. STPs have previously engaged with patients and the public on their plans for the local area, and local engagement continues to play a key part in the development of the footprint. As ACSs are established, we expect that local engagement will continue to play a fundamental part in the development process. No significant changes to the services people currently receive will be made without local engagement and, where required, consultation. There are longstanding assurance processes in place to make sure this happens.

Visual Impairment: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when magnetic implants to improve eyesight will be available on the NHS.

Steve Brine: It is for local National Health Service commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund new treatments, taking into account National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, available evidence and individual patient’s clinical circumstances. The future availability of any new or novel treatments would be subject to large scale clinical trials demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the treatment approach and subsequent assessments of its cost effectiveness for routine use.

Mental Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that mental health patients can receive treatment closer to where they live.

Jackie Doyle-Price: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health is committed to ensuring that patients with mental health conditions can receive treatment as close as possible to where they live. Inappropriate out of area placements are unacceptable and the Government has set a target to eliminate these in non-specialist, acute mental health care by 2020/21. To support the delivery of this ambition, in October 2016 the Government put in place the first data collection to secure much-needed national transparency on the number of patients that are sent out of their local area for acute inpatient treatment. NHS England is using this new data to support local health systems to develop and deliver trajectories to eliminate inappropriate out of area placements. More than £400 million which has been made available for investment in mental health crisis resolution home treatment teams over the next four years, enabling them to provide 24/7 crisis response and intensive home treatment as a genuine alternative to admission where appropriate. Shared learning and best-practice advice on reducing out of area placements through improved system capacity management will be included in acute care commissioning guidance.